EN Water Treatment DR Juhnke
EN Water Treatment DR Juhnke
By Dr. Jünke
Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
1. Introduction treatment.
The physical water treatment has been used and dis- 2. The Lime
cussed for the last two decades. During this time, it
has proven its effectiveness that on the other hand Chemically speaking, lime is calcium carbonate
is still questioned and denied. Why is that? If we (CaCO3). This compound is not soluble in water.
follow the discussions, we can find various reasons Question: How can it be dissolved in the water
that however are not going to be discussed here. then? Answer: When water that contains carbon
It rather seems necessary to examine the physical dioxide passes chalky grounds, lime is released and
foundations that can explain the mode of action of is present in the water as calcium hydrogen carbo-
these processes and so to free them from the rep- nate Ca(HCO3)2. This is possible as carbon dioxide
roach of fraud and to recognize the black sheep that CO2 together with water H2O forms carbon acid
led to this reproach. The following is a try to clear H2CO3. As everybody knows from the everyday
these questions. household life, acidic cleaning agents are needed to
remove lime deposits. It seems like splitting hairs
Apart from my own positive experience that clear- to underline the difference between dissolved and
ly demonstrates the effectiveness, at least of the undissolved lime, but this is exactly where the lack
device installed on my pipes(1), there is a number of argumentation in favour of the action of these de-
of information coming from renowned institutions vices lies.
such as e.g. the Physiological Institute of the Lud-
wig-Maximilian-University Munich confirming the Thereupon the following question is raised: why
same. In this institution, the replacement of laser does lime separate anyway? The dissolved amount
tubes because of furring through the coolant that of calcium hydrogen carbonate in the drinking wa-
had been necessary before, could be avoided after ter never reaches the saturation limit that if excee-
the installation of a physical water treatment de- ded leads to the separation of the dissolved subs-
vice. Hotels and instruction companies as well as a tance as a crystal.
lot of conversations with private users confirm the
action, although the non- functioning is also often If we look at the points in the pipes where lime de-
lamented. As in most cases the private users do not posits, the answer is already given. Primary spots
know the producer of the device (a lot of times it for lime deposits are pipe bends, branches and the
was said that the product was a cheap one bought in ending points (faucets) and especially the warm
a superstore), we can only draw the conclusion that water areas. In the last mentioned case we have to
there are some devices that do not meet the physical differentiate: warm water containers are generally
conditions to be effective. But we cannot draw the speaking free from deposits; heating bars, heater
conclusion that the treatment principle itself is usel- spirals or heat exchangers, surfaces that transmit the
ess and does not work. heat to the water, are always affected.
Unfortunately, this impression is also often given in Why these spots? The answer is pretty easy: there
serious publications, a lot of times without giving has to be an energy gradient that leads to the ope-
any scientific proof or any proof orientated towards ning of the water cages around the dissolved ions so
the action and that does justice to it. that they can react with each other. At the same time
the so called lime -carbonic acid- balance has to be
Before the action of the physical water treat- disturbed, this means that it has to come to a local
ment is explained in a plausibility proof, first we lack of CO2. Then the elements look for a crystal-
have to clarify why water pipes fur up. Therefo- lization point (nucleus) where to start the crystalli-
re we see the lime as target of the physical water zation. These spots are always located on the walls
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
of the pipes, these represent the solid base on which are divided in 7 crystal systems and 32 crystal clas-
the crystals can grow. More and more elements de- ses, which differ from each other through their lat-
posit, the lime deposits grow and incrustations, also tice structure.
known as scale, develop. They consist of calcium
carbonate mixed with magnesium compounds, gyp- Lime can crystallize in two different structures
sum, silicates and iron compounds (therefore the which are chemically completely identical. The lat-
yellowbrownish colour). These sedimentations fa- tice structures are different but related. Afterwards,
vour corrosion and worsen the heat transmission of the lattice type Aragonite (picture 1) or Calcite (pic-
heating bars and heat exchangers. ture 2) is formed. When the chemical structure is
the same, it depends on thermodynamic circumstan-
How is it possible that there are local energy diffe- ces (pressure, temperature) which modification is
rences in the water? In the case of heating bars it is produced. As the pictures show, in both unit cells,
easy, heat is transmitted to the water. In pipe bends one axis is longer than the others. This means that
the water is accelerated, the energy for this process a crystal grows faster in this direction than in the
comes from the inner energy of the water, pressure others. The grow velocity is anisotropic, i.e. depen-
and temperature changes are the consequences. The dent on the direction.
same goes for branches and ending points. Here,
turbulences are caused, also with the inner energy
of the water and with the same consequences.
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
So what do devices do when they show the pro- chains and clusters that do not change even when
mised effects? the water moves. These chains and clusters are held
together by Van de Waals powers or dispersion po-
1. They do not convert lime. Into what should they? wers or hydrogen bridges. The bond is based on the
The devices cause that Calcium hydrogen carbonate attraction of electric dipoles present in molecules
Ca(HCO3)2 turns out as Calcium carbonate CaCO3, with polarized bonds or angled structure.
which is electrically and chemically neutral in wa-
ter. And this is a solid with the special concomitant At the University of Stuttgart, scientific researches
that the crystal does not crystallize on an already are conducted concerning this problem and first re-
existing solid but is formed in the flowing water. sults show that the behaviour of water is influenced
Such a crystal forms according to laws of nature by electric and magnetic fields. Such phenomena
with typical parameters valid for every substance have been known for a long time but have never
and it takes on a form according to the law of nature. been investigated scientifically.
2. The result is that these crystals do not have spe- This molecule form leads to a further special cha-
cial characteristics but special forms that do not at- racteristic. Water shows a dipole character. Through
tach to each other any more and therefore prevent the bond, both elements strive for an inert gas con-
calcification. At this point the described mechanism figuration in their outer electrons shells. In the case
is effective. of hydrogen there are two electrons, in the case of
oxygen eight. Oxygen is missing two and each hyd-
3. Water rogen one electron. In the molecule the total of two
bonding electrons is available for all three atoms, so
To understand the following processes, now some that an inert gas configuration can be reached by all
information about water is given. It is way more molecules.
than what the formula H2O says. The two hydro-
gen atoms and the oxygen atom form an equilate- In all homopolar bonds of diverse atoms, the bond
ral triangle and incircle a ~110° angle, as shown in is polarized, i.e. the bonding electrons pair is moved
picture 3. towards the direction of the bonding partner with
the higher electron affinity, in this case the oxygen
atom. If the water molecule is put in an electric
field, it lines up so that the oxygen shows towards
the positive electric side and the hydrogen molecu-
les towards the negative electric side. So the water
molecule is charged a little bit more negatively on
Picture 3: Angle structure of a water molecule the side of the oxygen and a little bit more posi-
tively on the side of the hydrogen.
This is the reason for a lot of characteristics that di-
stinguish water from other, similar molecules. Two This fact, together with the molecule form, plays
gases that react with each other form a liquid and an important role for the dissolving ability of wa-
not a gas, as it is e.g. with carbon dioxide CO2 (solid ter and for the physical water treatment. At this
substance and gas!), a molecule a lot heavier. Be- point further anomalies are only briefly mentioned:
cause of this angle position water molecules form when water passes to a solid state (ice) its density
chains and clusters that cause the fluid state. decreases. If the ice is put under pressure, it lique-
fies again. Normally, liquids under pressure pass to
This is possibly the reason why water may have a solid, crystalline state. These few indication al-
a “memory” in which it adopts structures in the ready show that there is probably a lot more about
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
water than today’s modern research has discovered chemist. Some say that the pipe material does not
so fars. matter and that the device can even remove already
existing lime incrustations. How can oscillations
4. Physics and chemistry achieve all this? Seriously, who thinks to understand
just a little bit of physics and chemistry already finds
What happens physically and chemically when a enough apparently scientific arguments to question
physical water treatment device is used? the functioning.
As there are a lot of different application princip- What does a device do that really prevents lime de-
les, from magnets introduced in the water pipes to posits in pipes? At this point the first question has
the injection of seed crystals in the water, around to be what it has to do to fulfil this demand? The
which lime particles attach, in the following only answer is easy: It has to create the conditions under
one principle often offered and often controversially which the calcium hydrogen carbonate Ca(HCO3)2
discussed is going to be examined. is washed away with the water as a crystal and does
not attach to the pipe walls as calcium carbonate
The processes are described on the basis of a device crystal CaCO3.
with an appearance often found and which effects
are questioned. Picture 4 represents this device. The In the following, the physical and electrical possibi-
test explained here is based on the functioning and lities that an effective physical water treatment sys-
mode of action of this device. It is a blackbox from tem has to offer are examined. This simply means
which two cables exit and are wound around the that it has to cause the effect that the dissolved lime
pipe. These cables transmit oscillations to the water does not attach in crystalline form to the walls or
that are supposed to “convert” the dissolved lime contact points with the pipes, to devices and fittings
and render it harmless. in contact with water. This is only possible if the
dissolved lime crystallizes in the water before the
contact with these areas. Therefore two conditions
in the water have to be fulfilled:
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
the case of iron pipes, but it does not. The winding A capacitor is impermeable for direct voltage but
represents a part of a capacity, it is one capacitor not for alternating voltage. This fact is used when
surface, the other one is the water. This winding it comes to introduce electric alternating fields in
is a technological compromise, a metal foil placed the pipes. Picture 6 is an instant photograph of this
around the pipe on the same length would have a process. You can see that the pipe material does not
slightly higher capacity, but would also have to have any influence on the capacitor effect in the ar-
be custom made for every pipe diameter. Normal rangement.
loudspeaker cables instead are sold in metres and
adapt to the different pipe diameters without any
problems.
How can, with this arrangement, an electric field be metal pipe + non metal pipe +
caused in the water even through every pipe ma-
terial? This is the point where most doubts begin.
With this arrangement, it comes to a physical effect Picture 6: Transfer of an electric field into the water by
widely spread in the electric everyday life but not influence
well known: the influence. In picture 5 the principle
of the process is shown on the basis of a capacitor. If the winding wire is charged by a pole of a pow-
er source, the same electric charge of the opposite
sign is bound in the water pipe through influence (as
the water comes from the earth). If it is a temporal
Battery Insulator periodic charge transfer, or, respectively, a charge
and discharge, a so-called displacement current is
produced - like in a capacitor (apparently) influ-
enced by alternating current - between the insulated
Picture 5: Charge separation through influence
winding wire and the pipe wall (this can be calcu-
lated with the Maxwell equation).This is the con-
When voltage is transmitted to the two capaci- tinuation of an alternating (+-+-+-…) or pulsating
tor plates, a charge displacement in the dielectric (0+0+0+0…or 0-0-0-…) conduction current which
(insulator) is caused, which is the opposite of the develops between the pipe (including the water) and
charge of the plates. When the plates are dischar- the ground.
ged, the polarisation of the insulator also disappears
as in the insulator electrons cannot move but only This results on the one hand from an alternating or
bound electrons are displaced. But if on the other pulsating electric field orientated in the longitudinal
hand e.g. two metal sheets laid on top of each other direction of the pipe and on the other hand from a
(electric conductor) are put into the electric field magnetic eddy field centrically wound around the
between the capacitor plates, the charge separation pipe. Measurements have shown that an effective
is the following: the surface of one metal sheet gets voltage of ≈1 Volt is produced between the winding
a negative charge (opposite of the positive capacitor and the water and that there is a displacement cur-
plate) and the other one gets an equivalent negative rent of ≤ 5μA.
charge. This phenomenon is called influence. If the
two plates in the electrical field are separated, one of At this point, some more attention has to be paid to
the plates shows a negative charge (surplus of elec- the lime dissolved in the water. Picture 7 shows the
trons) and the other one a positive charge (shortage connections. The dissolved lime – calcium hydro-
of electrons). gen carbonate – dissociates in one double positively
charged calcium ion and two negatively charged
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
hydrogen carbonate ions. These ions are surrounded field in the inside of the pipe influences the ions or
by a water cage. The water molecules settle around dipolar molecules closed in water cages in the water
the calcium so that the oxygen points towards the in a way that they move from the one direction of
calcium and the hydrogen towards the outside. Elec- the pipe to the other to the beat of the alternating
trostatic powers hold these clusters together. The field. The electric oscillation has led to an oscilla-
carbonate remnants are surrounded in the same way tion of matter which spreads axially. Physically,
only that the oxygen atoms of the water molecules this is a mechanical (acoustic) longitudinal wave or
point to the outside. These clusters altogether show shock wave. Areas with overpressure and negative
a positive or respectively negative charge. pressure alternate. In atomic and molecular fields,
this locally causes an adhering of the CO2. If the
oscillation frequency is suitable, the water cages
disintegrate and this also leads to a local decrease
of the CO2 concentration. The lime- carbonic acid-
balance is locally disturbed and at the same time the
Dissolving dissolved lime ions that are freed from the water
lime
cage can meet and react with each other: a lime mo-
Positively lecule has been produced which now serves as crys-
charged Negatively
charged tallization nucleus.*) Other molecules are taken up
by this nucleus and form a lime crystal in the water.
This lime crystal is electronically neutral and does
NeuTral
bound lime not react in tap water any more. Therefore, this lime
(insoluble)
crystal is not taken up by existing lime deposits on
Picture 7: Schematic representation of dissolved and bound the pipe walls anymore.
lime
To cause these processes, the electric alternating
A schematic representation is given in picture 8, the field has to contain frequencies that if possible lead
clusters just have to be imagined as minute spheres. to resonance oscillations of the water cages. Since all
They have a diameter of 1 to 2 nanometers (nm), tap waters that correspond to the German drinking
assuming that about 100 to 200 water molecules are water decree are different regarding the quantity of
involved. If the mass of these clusters is calculated, dissolved minerals, the pH-value and the conducti-
it results that the mass of the Ca- clusters as well as vity, the formation of the electric alternating field is
the mass of the bicarbonate remnants is of 30×10-22g also influenced. Besides, there is the changing flow
up to 60×10-22 g. These results are interesting for the velocity. Devices that work with only one frequency
water treatment. can also successfully set off this cycle by chance,
but most of the times they do not show any success.
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
energize. When one has the rest and de-energize, the and the dynamic pressure is constant:
other one receives the impulses. Each impulse has a
frequency response of ca. 3 to 15 kHz, spread on 50 Pdyn + Pstat = const. (2)
ms. As there was no suitable measuring technique,
the frequency response could not be measured. If 10 In the water that flows faster, the dynamic pressure
oscillations are counted per kHz, the pulse duration increases and the static pressure decreases. This me-
is approximately reached. At this point it has to be ans that CO2 escapes from the inner radius towards
particularly emphasized one more time that this is the outer radius and the lime- carbonic acid- balance
only an attempt to generally explain the effective- is disturbed. Lime is set free, looks for a crystalli-
ness. The complexity of the excited oscillations zation point and finds this point on the walls of the
including the overlapping of different waveforms inner radius. Little by little, a layer of lime epitaxi-
(overtones) cannot be taken into consideration. ally grows in which other minerals also deposit. On
this irregular surface turbulences develop, the same
happens in pipe branches because of pressure fluc-
The device is supposed to safely treat 5000 litres of
tuations, so that in both cases lime deposits develop.
water per hour. In the case of a half inch pipe this
As water, and therefore also the CO2, evaporates in
means the flow of a water column of 11.3 mm/ms, faucets and shower heads, also here lime deposits
in the case of a one inch pipe it would be 2.8 mm/ develop. On heated surfaces the CO2 is also remo-
ms and in the case of a two inch pipe 0.7 mm/ms. ved from the closer surrounding area, so that theses
As the length of the effect of an electric alternating surfaces are also favourite crystallization points for
field is of ≈ 500 mm (the producer indicates ≈ 1000 the lime.
mm), this means that this distance is just covered.
Every ion water cage has enough time to fall apart. For two reasons, the presence of lime in drinking
water is important and therefore a minimal amount
What about the reaction velocity of the chemical that corresponds to a water hardness of 8.4°d is sti-
components? The Max-Born-Institute for nonlinear pulated by the German drinking water decree. First-
optics and transient spectroscopy in Berlin has ex- ly, the drinking water provides a big part of calci-
amined the velocity of the formation of molecules um the body needs and secondly, the bicarbonate
on the basis of water molecules with a special la- remnants of the dissolved lime reacts with the metal
ser array. The result was a time between 10 and 20 of the pipe and so forms a metal carbonate protecti-
ve layer. This is especially important in the case of
femto seconds (1 fs = 10-15 second). This time is as
copper pipes (see below). Picture 9 shows a detail of
inconceivably short as the universe is inconceivably
such a protection layer. You can see how the crystals
big. The distance light travels in 1 fs gives us an ap- grow on the metal surface. Such bundles of crystals
proximate idea of how short this time is: ≈ 0.3 μm. cover the surface and protect the pipe against cor-
In the time light travels 6 mm, 1000 molecules can rosion.
be formed. Therefore, it is very probable that the
molecule formation and the formation of nucleus Picture 10 shows this even better. It is an electron
crystals take place in the section treated. microscopic picture of an artificially produced phos-
phate protective layer against corrosion. Phosphates
5. Protective layers and incrustations crystallize in a similar crystal system as carbonates.
In time, this desirable quality of lime becomes a dis-
At this point the formation of incrustations is only advantage as more and more lime deposits grow in
briefly mentioned for the processes in pipe bends. these protective layers since they are ideal crystalli-
The flowing water accelerates in the pipe bends. zation points. Slowly, a pipe clogs up, starting in the
The water flowing in the outer radius is faster than pipe bends and branches.
the water in the inner radius. According to the simp-
lified Bernoulli’s equation (2), the sum of the static
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Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
6.
Removal of deposits and protection
against corrosion
8
Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
this crystal offers less targets than the incrustation centre of the drop an anode (shortage of electrons).
presenting these errors and therefore also a bigger Being an electrolyte, the water now enables the
surface and with that a higher inner energy. This is closed electrical circuit between anode and cathode.
why this incrustation is attacked more, often with a At the anode, positively charged ions of the prevai-
selective dissolution, what leads to the eruption of ling metal dissolve, react with the water and deposit
coarser lime particles which can accumulate in the as rust, while the electrons take the way through the
aerators. metal to the cathode. In principle, the process is the
same in the case of copper.
Now the equation (1) represents a balanced stati-
Waterdrop
onary state. But in nature fixed equilibria do not
exist, only flowing equilibria. At the melting point
of water e.g. ice and water exist at the same time,
therefore balanced. This means that statistically in
one time unit the same amount of water molecules
changes from the liquid to the solid state as water Iron
molecules melt from the ice.
The equilibrium is flowing. The lime segregation as Cathode Cathode
well as the lime dissolution described in the equati-
on (1) is also subject to this static process, if there is Picture 12: Ventilation element
no intervention from the outside. The processes in
the section treated will not catch all present mole-
cules. Even if in smaller amounts, there will still be In principle, the same process takes places in our
dissolved lime in the pipe which can also segregate pipes, the only difference lies in the reasons for the
but then be dissolved again. But since the physical different oxygen contacts to metallic surfaces. Pic-
water treatment intervenes in favour of the dissolu- ture 12a schematically represents this constellation.
tion of the lime and the removal of the deposits, new As long as the water is not physically treated, lime
incrustations do not form. Statistically, it is possible favours to deposit, as described above. Between the
that during these processes surfaces that are not yet areas with strong lime deposits and the lime free
covered with metal carbonate crystals (see pictures areas, this causes that the more or less strong oxy-
9 and 10) now form such crystals and so make the gen contact in the water effects the surfaces with a
corrosion protection layer thicker. different concentration. This way, the same process
as in the ventilation element is caused. As it is gene-
The described mechanism of the formation of a pro- rally known, most of the times corrosion occurs in
tective layer is not the only effect preventing corro- pipe bends, branches and T-pieces which show thick
sion. Since there is already a protective layer, nor- deposits. If these deposits are removed leaving only
mally no corrosion should occur, but as experiences the protective layer, the oxygen contact is the same
show corrosion does occur, in galvanized iron pipes everywhere and an electric potential cannot develop
as well as in copper pipes. What is the reason? anymore. This process is especially important for
copper pipes, as with a high oxygen content and pH
In technology there is a corrosion process called values lower than 6.5 copper is especially corrosion
ventilation element. Picture 12 describes this pro- endangered and specially tends to pitting corrosion.
cess. Iron is an electric conductor, water is an In these cases a thick protective layer is especially
electrolyte. When a water drop lies on the iron, important, also because of the impurity of the cop-
an electrolytic element has been formed, the only per (supplier of cheap products) that favours the
thing missing is the electric voltage. At the edge formation of local elements. Thus, more and more
of the water drop the oxygen contact towards the copper comes into the water and this is unfavourab-
metal surface is stronger, the centre of the drop is le for the health. According to the recommendations
less ventilated. Thus a potential difference between of the Federal Ministry of health, babies should not
these two areas develops, the edge of the water drop drink tap water in these cases. Water suppliers call
becomes a cathode (surplus of electrons) and the copper the “lead of the 20th century”.
9
Physical water treatment - this is how it works
Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Jünke
Photo credit:
• Pictures 1 and 2: W. Kleber, Einführung in die
less a lot
Water Kristallographie, Verlag Technik Berlin
• Picture 4, 6, 9 and 11: Information script from
Christiani Wassertechnik GmbH
• Picture 10: Information script from the BMW-
Lime
motorcycle factory Berlin
• Picture 12: W. Schatt (editor), Einführung in die
Metal pipe
Werkstoffwissenschaft, VEB Deutsche Verlag
für Grundstoffindustrie, Leipzig
Anode Cathode
(1)
Information about the device can be sought over
the manufacturer — Christiani Wassertechnik
GmbH, Köpenicker Str. 154, 10997 Berlin, Germa-
ny.
10